Ignition system.



C. F. KETTERING & W. A. CHRYST.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. l9l6.

1 ,265,454:. Patented May 7,1918.

mil 11255 E5 2 a lnf/entu rs UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcn.

CHARLES E. KETTERING AND WILLIAM A. CHRYST, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE DAYTON ENGINEERING LABORATORIES COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed April 3, 1916. Seria1No. 88,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, CHARLES F. Kn'r'r'en- ING and WILLIAM A. Cnnrs'r, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in ignition systems, and more particularly to that type of ignition systems which are combined with combustion or explosion engines, and which include mechanism for properly timing and distributing the sparking impulses of the ignition system.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for the adjustment of certain parts of the timing mechanism of the ignition system, whereby the position of the adjusted parts may be easily locked and maintained with precislon, without danger of altering the effected adjustment of the.

parts during the locking operation.

Further objects and advantages of. the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of one embodiment of the present invention is clearly set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of one form of the present invention, wherein some.

of the elements of the timing and distributing unit are shown in section, while others are shown in elevation for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 1, with the distributer head and rotor removed to clearly illustrate the spark timing mechanism.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of certain of the elements included in the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is disclosed what may be termed a timing and distributing mechanism. which is adapted to control the time of occurrence and the distribution of sparking impulses to an engine. This timing and distributing device is preferably driven by the engine at any predetermined ratio of speed, through a connection with the shaft 20. This shaft 20 projects into the casing 21 and is secured to a plate or disk 22, which in turn carries pins 23. These 20, in accordance with the varying speeds of I the engine.

This automatic control mechanism above referred to, forms a part of the subject matter of the co-pending application, Serial No. 55,160, filed October 11,1915, and no further description of these elements is deemed necessary in the present application, except where description is necessary to clearly bring out features of the present invention. v

The cam carrying element 26, as has been stated heretofore, fits over the stub shaft 27, and is provided with a reduced head portion 28, which is tubular in conformation and which is suitably slotted at 29, so as to pro.- vide a plurality of expansible and slightly resilient fingers or portions 30..

This reduced head portion or shank 28 carries and supports the cam 31, which is provided with suitable lobes 32, to actuate the contact plate 33 to make and breakthe contact between the points 34 and 35, see Fig. 2.

The cam element 31 is provided with a reduced head portion or shank 36, which is provided with a flat on each side, as at 41, to prevent relative movement of the distributer rotor 37, which is carried by the cam element directly.

v It is well known to those skilled in the art that it frequently becomes advisable to change the adjustment of the cam and rotor, relative to the contact plate 33 and the stationary contacts 34 and 35 of the distributer.

It is also well understood that this adjustment of the cam element and the rotor must be maintained with precision, so as to secure the efficient operation of the timing and distributing mechanism.

In the form of the invention shown in the present instance, the locking element 38 comprises a bolt or screw, having a threaded portion 39 and a wedge-shaped head or expanding portion 40. This locking element is inserted Within the tubular portion 28 of the cam carrying element 26, and may be screwed into the threaded bore formed in the portion 28 of the cam carrying element 26, see Figs. 1 and 4. I

As this locking'element is being screwed home, the Wedge shaped head tends to cause the resilient fingers to expand and to frictionally engage the cam carrying element 7 simply necessary to unscrew the locking bolt' 38, and manually set the dam to the desired position and then screw the locking element back into locking position.

By referring to F ig. 1, it will be noted that the locking element does not directly engage with any element which is capable of permanent adjustment relative to the engine driven shaft. Therefore, there is no tendency to actuate either the camdirectly or indirectly durin the locking operation, that is, during the time that the locking element is being screwed home. Therefore, there is no tendency to throw the cam out of its set position.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

\Vhat we claim is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a driving shaft; of

an ignition system, including a cam carrying element connected to said driving shaft, said element having a slotted shank portion; a cam adapted to fit over said shank portion; and means for expanding said slotted shank into contact with the cam to maintain said cam in adjusted position.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination With a driving shaft; of an ignition system, including a cam carrying element connected to said driving shaft, said element having a slotted shank portion; a cam adapted to fit over said shank portion; a distributer rotor carried by said cam; and means for expanding the slotted shank into contact with said cam to adjustably maintain the cam and rotor in adjusted position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a driving shaft; of an ignition system, including a cam carrying element connected to the driving shaft; said element having an expansible shank portion; a cam adapted to fit over said shank portion; and means operable relative to the expansible portion for locking said cam in adjusted position.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a driving shaft; of an ignition system, including a cam carrying element connected to the driving shaft; said element having an expansible shank por tion; a cam adapted to fit over said shank portion; and a locking element having a wedge-shaped head adapted to be forced into said shank portion to expand the same and thereby lock the cam in adjusted position. I

In testimony whereof We affix our signaturesin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES R KETTERING. WILLIAM A, CHRYST. WVitnesses J. W. MCDONALD, B. P. CARR. 

